POLAND: The hero of Polish democracy, Mr Lech Walesa, said yesterday the Pope might yet surprise the world with his longevity.
"Every person past the age of 50 has some ailments, and that is why we must understand," the former Polish president, a devout Catholic, said hours after the Pope was taken to hospital in Rome with breathing problems.
"Many had said the Pope was in bad shape and they are already with St Peter, while the Holy Father continues to serve people and the world. We are left with prayers, for ourselves and for the Pope, who may yet outlive us."
In Krakow, where Karol Wojtyla, now 84, decided to become a priest and where he was ordained in 1946, people lit candles for his health on the Catholic holiday of Candlemas Day.
"I woke up this morning, and heard the Pope is ill. I started to pray immediately, and then I decided to come here and pray for him," said Ms Krystyna Malica (70) outside a church in the southern Polish city.
Some Poles still believe the Pope guards Polish interests from the Vatican.
"Let God bless him because when he is gone they will treat Poland differently," said a pensioner on the steps of a church in Warsaw.